


Haven

by luckandillusions



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst and Tragedy, Canon Rewrite, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Drama, If You Think This Has A Happy Ending You Haven't Been Paying Attention, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-07-02 06:11:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15790596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckandillusions/pseuds/luckandillusions
Summary: Charming, California is not the quaint small town that it's name suggests. In this town everyone has skeletons in their closets. Just when Hanna Donnelly thinks she found her escape, she's pulled back into the thick of things, and learns that finding your way out is not as easy as it seems.





	1. Chapter 1

****

 

The word "charming" conjures to mind images of fairytale villages, and princes who will sweep you off your feet. Unfortunately the town of Charming, California was nothing like a fairytale. There were no happily ever afters in Charming. This was a town where fairytales went to die, and it was a town Hanna Donnelly had never expected to set foot in again.

She pulled her cherry-red convertible to a stop in the parking lot of Teller-Morrow Automotive, and stepped out, eyes narrowing in the sunlight. A shrimpy blonde boy ran toward her, and she tossed him her keys. "She could use an oil change," she said, not bothering to wait around for his reply.

Hanna moved toward the door of the clubhouse, ignoring the boy's calls behind her. She pushed open the door, breathing in the familiar smell of beer and cigarettes. She ran her fingers through her hair, as her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room. Her hair fell around her face like a blonde halo. The room looked like a time capsule. Everything was exactly the way she remembered it. Down to the shitty vinyl-covered chairs around too-small cocktail tables.

"Is that Hanna Oswald?" A familiar voice called, his tone skeptical. Her blue eyes flicked toward the older man, who raised one eyebrow in mock surprise.

"You know damn well that's not my last name," she said. Hanna had taken her mother's maiden name in the divorce years ago, but some legacies were hard to shake. He enveloped her in a hug, despite her protests. "Nice to see you too, Clay."

"Hanna?" She whirled around to flash a grin at her high school crush. There was a time when Hanna would have followed Jax Teller to the ends of the Earth. She certainly followed him into more than her fair share of trouble. "Been a while, yeah?"

"A while," she agreed. Almost a decade if she were counting. "Opie around?"

"Somewhere."

"I talked to David a few days ago," Hanna started. Jax's sneer made her laugh. "Believe me, he feels the same way about you. Some things never change." She nodded toward the set of double doors across the room. "Speaking of which, can I talk to the two of you for a minute? Alone."

Clay nodded, and headed toward the meeting room. Hanna's gaze fell on a guy at the bar, whose eyes lit up when looked at him. He had a dumb haircut and tattoos on his head. She shook her head, a not so subtle way of saying, "not gonna happen." Jax chuckled at the exchange, clapping a hand on her shoulder and leading her through the doors.

When the doors were shut behind them, Hanna sighed. "I wanted to thank you. My dad told me what you did for Tristen. That son of a bitch deserved everything he got." Clay noded once in agreement. "I wish I could say I'm surprised Elliot didn't follow through, but I'm not. So, thank you for taking care of it. I owe you one."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hanna, but Elliot already owes us for that."

"My father is a coward," Hanna told him. "He'll do whatever you ask because he has to. I'm offering you a favor because I want to. Tristen is my sister, I'd do anything for her."

Jax and Clay shared a look, but Clay nodded, nonetheless. "We'll keep that in mind."

Hanna gave them a soft smile before heading back outside. She walked up to the bar, and the guy who'd been watching her followed her with his eyes. She rolled her eyes at the dopey smile on his face. "Can I get you a drink?" He asked.

"Not thirsty," she said, hardly sparing him a glance. To the girl behind the bar, she said, "I'll take a shot of Maker's Mark, straight." Hanna downed the drink, and let out a refreshed sigh.

"I'm Juice," the guy told her, refusing to give up.

She raised an eyebrow. "Nice name."

Not catching the sarcasm, he rambled on. "It's really Juan Carlos, but everyone calls me Juice."

"Okay," she said, drawing out the first syllable. She swiveled her head to give Clay and Jax a look. The former of which shot her an amused smile. Hanna laughed quietly to herself, and started for the door. "Let me know, Clay." She sauntered toward the door, and Juice watched her go, already smitten.

Jax took a seat beside him, patting him on the back. "I wouldn't." Juice gave him a curious look, and Jax shook his head. Juice looked to Clay for more information.

"She's trouble," was all he said.

"In high school, Hanna spent summers with Oswald, and most of that time she spent here," Jax explained. "If you asked her, she'd say she was tailing me. But truth is, she was just doing it to piss her dad off."

"She did everything but become a Crow Eater," Clay continues. "And that's only because the guys knew better than to lay a hand on Oswald's girl."

"She doesn't want this life, never has."

"Hanna Donnelly is not the old lady you've been looking for, but she'll be happy to use you if it gets under Oswald's skin." Clay shook his head and threw his arm over Juice's shoulder. "Steer clear, kid."

Outside, Hanna headed to the office to grab her keys. The woman at the desk held up a finger as the blonde stepped through the door. "Take your time," Hanna offered. Gemma looked up at the sound of Hanna's voice, and she slammed the phone down. "Or don't."

"God, look at you. Is that your car outside?" Hanna nodded. "Can't believe you used to be a fucking Crow Eater."

"Not quite," Hanna reminded her. Gemma looked skeptical, not quite believing that everyone had followed Clay's rule to keep their hands off. "That was a long time ago."

Gemma made a tsking sound and stood up to get a better look. "I knew you'd end up back in Charming. Some people just can't stay away."

"It's temporary, a few months at Elliot's company while I work out where I'm going next."

"Sure it is." Gemma brushed a piece of hair out of Hanna's face and shook her head. "Always thought you had the balls to be an old lady one day. Someone has to keep this club running when I'm gone."

"I realized a long time ago that your son and I were not meant to be."

Gemma scoffed. "There are plenty of other guys besides Jax."

"Yes, I'm aware. Most of them are waiting for me  _outside_  of Charming."

"We'll see about that," she said, with a frown.

The shrimpy guy who'd taken Hanna's car came inside to return the keys and give her the total. Gemma waved him off. "No, no. This one's on the house, family doesn't pay."

Hanna suppressed an eye roll and pasted on her best fake smile. "See you at the fundraiser, Gemma." As she headed toward the door, she added, "It was nice catching up with you."

OoOoO

The school district fundraiser was the sort of thing Hanna would have gone out of her way to avoid, if it weren't for Tristen. The whole town getting together in one big field to listen to garage bands, and eat overpriced home cooking was not her idea of a good time. Besides, there were far too many chances for Hanna to run into people she used to know.

But Elliot had to go and show his support for the community, and naturally his second wife went with him. Tristen would be home alone, and no one wanted that. Hanna volunteered to work from home, and keep an eye on her. Since the attack at Fun Town, Tristen had been distant with everyone but her older sister.

So when the girl had asked Hanna to take her to Taste of Charming, just for a little while, Hanna had relented.

The small town Americana was nauseating, but Hanna put on her best smile for her little sister. It had been weeks since Hanna had seen her smile like this, and she was determined to just let Tristen be a kid. She pointed out one of the booths. "Oh, I remember this, she makes the best homemade ice cream."

Tristen raised her eyebrows. "Thought you only ate gelato," she teased. Hanna shook her head, and didn't admit that summer days spent in the backs of pickup trucks, eating homemade ice cream were some of her best memories.

"Two vanillas, please," Hanna ordered and Tristen made a face. "You can put toppings on it. Don't question me, I know what I'm doing." Tristen stuck her tongue out at her. Hanna wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulders, as she reached for her wallet with the other hand.

"Hey, I got you," someone said from behind them. Hanna turned to see the guy from the club, Juice. He didn't wait for an answer, just handed the woman behind the table a ten. Tristen picked up her bowl and went for toppings. Hanna gave the biker a look. "Just being friendly."

"Friendly," she repeated, skeptically. "That all?"

"Clay said you're a friend of the club."

Hanna hummed, knowing with certainty that Clay hadn't stopped there. Tristen returned, half hiding behind Hanna's back. "Thanks," Hanna told him, and took a step away, pushing her sister along with her.

"Mind if I walk with you?" Juice asked. Hanna looked at Tristen, who shrugged. The blonde gave a reluctant nod, and they made the rounds. On the plus side, no one bothered her with one of the Sons at her side. Though it didn't stop them from staring. If Elliot hadn't spotted her by now, it would surely get back to him soon.

Tristen drifted toward one of the game booths, still eating her sprinkle covered ice cream. She watched one of the younger girls fail miserably at throwing darts. "You wanna try, kid?" The man behind the table asked her. Tristen shook her head and took a small step back.

Hanna glanced across the lawn. Elliot and Karen had spotted them, and watched on with matching frowns on their faces. "Do you want a bear?" Juice asked, and Hanna turned back to see him standing next to Tristen. The girl blushed, but nodded.

Hanna tucked Tristen under her arm protectively, while they watched Juice. He hit every target, and then turned back to the girls with a triumphant grin. Tristen quietly picked her prize, a fluffy blue bear, which she hugged to her chest.

Across the lawn, Karen called, "Tristen!" The girls turned, and she waved her daughter over. "We're going home!"

"Can I stay with you?" Tristen asked, looking up at Hanna.

Hanna shook her head. "Not today. I don't want to make your mom mad."

Tristen sighed, but nodded, and gave Hanna a hug. She turned to look at Juice and offered him a small smile. "Thank you." Then she turned and hurried off to join her parents. Hanna watched her go, and waved at Elliot as the trio headed for the parking lot.

"That was sweet," Hanna said finally, looking over at Juice. "Thanks."

"Tristen's pretty quiet, huh?"

"She wasn't always." Hanna closed her eyes for a moment. She sighed, and sat down at the closest picnic table. Across the parking lot, Elliot looked at his eldest daughter one last time.

"Is she the reason you came back?" He asked, elbows leaning on the table.

Hanna shook her head. "No, I came back for a job. Elliot needed some help with the new office, interior design stuff mostly. Maybe a fundraiser later this year." She shrugged. "I figured Charming is close enough to San Fransisco that I can drive back and forth for other jobs. Hopefully find something more permanent, freelance sucks."

"So you aren't sticking around."

It wasn't a question, but she answered it anyway. "This town is a black hole. The next time I leave, I'm getting out for good." She glanced toward the parking lot. Elliot was gone. Hanna stood up. "I should head home." She put a hand on his shoulder, for just a moment. "Thanks, again." And then she turned away and headed for the parking lot without looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

Hanna pulled on her riding boots, leaning against the wall to keep her balance. She stumbled a little when she caught sight of the person outside. A single motorcycle was parked in the driveway. Juice took off his helmet and glanced around.

She hurried to put on her other boot, and gave her ponytail a last tug before heading toward the steps. Hanna paused momentarily to tap the paint swatches by the door. Her room was still a disaster, half full of boxes from her teenage years, and half full of luggage she'd yet to unpack. She still couldn't commit to a new paint color. Part of her thought that if she did, it would imply that she intended to come back.

Hanna groaned and stepped into the hallway. She took the steps two at a time, stopping in the foyer at the bottom. Her stepmother had already intercepted Juice at the door. Karen looked between Hanna and the biker, shoulders tense and eyes a little wide. But she was a lady, and she maintained her composure.

"I didn't realize you were coming by," Hanna said, ignoring her stepmother altogether.

His eyes flicked toward Karen, and then back to Hanna. "I was in the neighborhood." Karen scoffed. Even Hanna had to admit it was a terrible excuse.

"Thanks for letting him in," Hanna said to Karen, dismissing her with a wave of her hand. Her stepmother shot her a look, but disappeared down the hall nonetheless. Hanna smirked at Juice. "You just couldn't stay away?"

He looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Do you want to go for a ride?"

Hanna glanced out the window at his bike. Memories of flying down back roads, half-drunk in the middle of the night, flashed through her mind as if it were yesterday. "Yes, but not on that." She motioned for him to follow her down the hallway.

On the way outside, they passed Elliot's study. The door was cracked open, and the sound of Karen's ranting spilled out into the hallway. "She may be your daughter, but I won't have her bringing trash into  _my_  daughter's life." The corner of Hanna's lips quirked up in a smirk.

Hanna pushed open the back door and stepped outside. She headed toward the barn, where her appaloosa was tied up and waiting. "That's a horse," Juice said, staring.

"Congratulations, you passed zoology." She laughed quietly. "Do you ride?" He shook his head once, still looking at the horse as if it was going to eat him. She brushed through the horse's mane with her fingers. "Do you want to learn?"

Hanna coached him into grabbing a saddle, and walked him through the steps to making sure it was firmly in place. "There's no such thing as too tight, at least not if you have the right saddle."

"Is this the right saddle?" He asked, frowning.

Hanna laughed quietly and checked the straps. "You'll have to trust me."

She helped him get into the saddle, and then led him around for a while, letting him get used to it. Eventually she turned him loose, and talked him through how to make the horse listen. "You're a natural."

"I am terrified," he whispered, as if talking at a normal volume would send the horse into a fit of rage.

"You're a badass biker, but you're scared of a horse?" She shook her head, with a smile on her face. "I guess we'll save the trail ride for next time. I don't want you to have a heart attack."

He shook his head. "Next time I'm going to teach you how to ride my bike."

Hanna shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, I can live with that."

Tristen walked over and pulled herself up onto the rail. Hanna joined her, leaving Juice in the middle of the ring alone. "Mom is freaking out," Tristen told her. "I've never seen her this pissed."

"That's only because you were a baby when I was in my rebellious phase," Hanna said. "This is  _nothing_. At least she's stopped trying to act like she's my mother."

"Hanna," Juice hissed. "Help me down!"

Hanna tilted her head back and laughed, and Tristen ran over to hold the horse's reins while Juice dismounted. "Next time, let me teach you," Tristen told him. "Hanna's a terrible teacher."

"I am not!" Hanna said, pretending to be offended. "He didn't die, did he?"

Tristen put her hand over her heart. "I am so sorry you have a crush on my sister, she's a horrible person."

" _Tris_."

Tristen turned around to blow Hanna a kiss. "Learned it from you!"

"Go inside before your mother finds out I'm letting you flirt with bikers." She shook her head, exasperated. Tristen giggled, but headed for the house. Hanna pressed a finger to her temple. " _Teenagers_." Juice laughed. "I'll walk you out."

They headed around the front of the house, avoiding Karen and the empty threats that were sure to be coming. "Today was fun," Hanna told him.

"I don't know if  _fun_  is the word, I'd use but, yeah."

She looked at him for a moment, smiling, then shook her head. "See you around, Juice."

OoOoO

The knock on the door caused Hanna to draw a line straight across the page. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath, quickly attempting to save the design. "Come in!" She called. Elliot's secretary appeared in the doorway. "How many times have I told you, when the door is closed, do not disturb me?" Hanna snapped.

"I'm so sorry, but um, there's a guy in a SAMCRO vest in the lobby? Says he's here to see you?"

Hanna's demeanor changed like the flip of the switch. She slid the designs back into a folder and tucked them inside her drawer. "Tell Elliot I'll get him the budget later."

In the lobby, she found Juice waiting for her. He looked out of place among the crisp white décor. The secretary looked between them both for a moment, clearly having the same thought. But she sat down behind her desk without a word.

"I thought we could get lunch," Juice suggested.

"Lunch sounds good," Hanna said. "I know a place." He held the door open for her and she stepped outside. Hanna stood next to his bike. She bit her lip. "It's a couple blocks away, but we could walk."

Juice picked up his helmet and offered it to her. "Get on."

Even though it was a short ride, Hanna tilted her head back, enjoying the feeling of the wind in her hair. She'd forgotten how it felt. She tightened her arms around Juice's waist, almost forgetting to call out directions. When he pulled up outside the deli, she was reluctant to let go.

"It looks exactly how I remember it," she murmured. "I used to come here as a kid, they make the best sandwiches. Plain and simple but everything is so fresh." Hanna walked ahead, and ordered her old favorite. They were the only ones in the deli, and they picked a table at the window.

Hanna leaned on her elbows, watching cars pass outside. "Did you miss Charming?" Juice asked. 

She glanced over and sighed. "I want to say no, but maybe I did. A little bit. Things move at a different pace here. In the city I hardly have a moment to breathe." She paused and let out a short breath. "Which was part of the draw. No time to think when you're constantly moving."

Juice nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that."

Hanna looked at him for a moment. She wanted to ask what things he tried to forget. It surprised her that she cared. Naturally, she changed the subject. "I know I said it before, but thank you for being nice to Tristen. With everything that happened, people don't know how to treat her. I know I don't."

"The rest of my family is a mess. We all pretend for the sake of appearances, but one black spot in your past and suddenly you're a pariah." She shook her head. "But Tris is my little sister, I don't want her to turn out like the rest of us."

"She's your half-sister, right?"

Hanna nodded. "Yeah, but the other half doesn't matter."

"I have a sister back in Queens, I haven't seen her in a while."

Hanna didn't ask why he left, though she wanted to. It was easier to share her own problems than to take on someone else's. "You had some nerve showing up at Elliot's office in your cut. It's one thing when you guys show up at the ranch, it's another when you show up in the middle of downtown." She shook her head, with a smirk, already imagining his reaction. "He's gonna flip his shit."

Hanna glanced back over at Juice, noting how tense he was. She let out a long sigh. "What did they tell you about me?" She stared him down, knowing the answer already, but wanting to hear it anyway.

"That you acted like a Crow Eater wannabe, but really you'd just do anything to piss your dad off," Juice told her. "That you were trouble, and you weren't old lady material. Mostly that I should stay away from you."

Hanna's face gave nothing away as she looked at him. She couldn't deny any of it; it was true, at least based on what the guys knew of her before. "But you didn't listen. Why?"

"Jax is a notoriously bad judge of character, just look at his wife," he said, with a sigh. Hanna nodded, she'd heard all about Wendy and his kid. "And I saw you with Tristen, how much you care about her. You didn't seem like trouble, you seem like a good person."

"Tris told you I wasn't," she pointed out, though they both knew it had been a joke. Part of Hanna just couldn't help throwing up walls. Juice watched her for a moment, but she didn't crack.

"Maybe I should have listened to them." He stood up and walked out of the deli, leaving Hanna alone at the table. She sat in silence for a moment, watching him walk past the window. He didn't look back, and something inside her snapped.

Hanna jumped up, leaving her stuff behind, and pushed out the door. "Juice," she called. He didn't turn. She let out an exasperated sigh and marched up to him, tugging him around to face her. "That was a long time ago. It was  _high school_. We were different people then." She let out a short breath. "And I'm tired of living my life out of spite."

Still holding on to his arm, Hanna leaned forward and kissed him, soft and short. "I like you. Against my better judgment," she added. "But nevertheless."

"Not just because it'll piss off Oswald?"

"No," Hanna said firmly, then paused and rolled her eyes. "Okay maybe a  _little_  bit. But there are a lot of other ways I could piss off my dad. I'm not doing this because of him." She smirked. "Trust me, I don't want to like you, but I didn't have much choice."

Juice put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her. Hanna scrunched up her nose. "I'll change your mind," he said quietly.

"I'm looking forward to it."

OoOoO

The shouts and cheers leaked outside through the open door, and Hanna slipped off her helmet. She twisted her windswept hair up into a bun on the top of her head, leaving her shoulders bare. Juice slipped an arm around her waist as they went inside.

In the ring, the shrimpy blonde was throwing punches at another fighter. Hanna was surprised to see he could hold his own in a fight. "You met the prospect, right?" She nodded, and scanned the room for a good viewpoint.

Before they found one, Tig Trager stepped in front of them. "Hell, if this doesn't look familiar."

"It shouldn't," Hanna said, flashing a smile. Tig looked between the blonde and Juice. He let out a low whistle. She nodded toward the ring. "This your doing?"

"What can I say, we saw an opportunity." Tig motioned around the room. "Grab a seat, get a beer, it's gonna be a good show." He gave Hanna a quick once over. "This really is a good look on you."

"I know." She had to admit it felt nice to cut loose. There was a dress code in Charming that would never have been accepted in the places her city friends like to go.

Tig shook his head, and looked at Juice. "Don't let this one tear out your heart, Juicy."

"Too late," Hanna told him. She winked. "You're next, Tiggy." She looked up at Juice and tugged him forward. "Come on, let's get a drink."

The two settled in, and Juice put his arm around Hanna's shoulder. She leaned into him, paying more attention to the way they fit together than the fight in front of her.

Across the room, the other Sons took notice. Clay shook his head. "Could be I was wrong about her."

"People change, boss," Tig said.

"Maybe."


	3. Chapter 3

Hanna parked her convertible outside T-M. She shooed off Half-Sack as he approached. "They're in chapel," he called, as she headed for the club.

"I'll wait," she said, with a more insistent wave this time.

Inside, Hanna sat at the bar, stretching her arms out over her head. "Long ass car ride," she explained to the Crow Eater behind the bar.

"Want a drink?"

"The usual." She washed three days in San Francisco down with a double shot of whisky. "They been in long?"

"Yeah, should be out soon."

Hanna got another round while she waited. By the time the boys came out, she was feeling much better. She propped her head up on her hands and smiled at Juice when he came trough the door. He walked over and Hanna craned her neck up for a kiss. "I missed you," he said.

"I called every day, not my fault the club keeps you so busy," Hanna pointed out. He shook his head and she smirked. "But I missed you too."

The other Sons trickled out of the room, casting knowing looks in their direction. "Hey, Han," Jax said, joining them at the bar. "Gemma wants to know if you're going to be at the house tonight. Abel's finally coming home."

Hanna smiled. "I heard, congratulations! The kid's a fighter like his dad." She glanced between Jax and Juice. "I wasn't planning on it. I don't want to intrude. It's just family and close friends, right?"

Jax gave her a confused look. "Old ladies  _are_  family."

Hanna's eyes went wide, but not quite as wide as Juice's did. Jax looked between them and took a small step backward, as he realized his mistake. "Just, uh, let Gemma know, okay?" Hanna nodded, a half second too late.

"Old lady," she repeated, testing it out.

"He was just messing with me," Juice said, rubbing his head. "I mean, you aren't– Unless you want–" He paused. "Do you want to be?"

"I think I might," Hanna said. She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Is that crazy?"

"It could be a trial run," he suggested.

Hanna made a face. "Yeah, I think girlfriends come with a 30 day warranty." She laughed and Juice joined in. He leaned down to kiss her, earning a few whistles from the guys, who were pretending not to listen in. "Wait till my dad finds out about  _this_." Juice gave her a blank look at she raised her eyebrows. "I'm kidding! Mostly."

"I guess I should tell Gemma I'll be there tonight," she said. Then shook her head. "Actually, can you do that? I'd like to put off her  _I told you so_  as long as possible."

"Yep, then I'll take you home."

"I don't need a designated driver," she teased. "But I'm also not going to say no to riding with you." Juice shook his head and headed toward the main building.

The Crow Eater pushed over another glass. "Celebratory shots."

Hanna shook her head. "Fuck it, who needs to be sober at 2pm?"

OoOoO

Hanna leaned on the counter, watching everyone gathered around Abel. She smiled as she sipped her beer. "It's good to see you here, Hanna," Gemma told her. Hanna turned to see Gemma's smug smile.

"It  _is_  good to see me here," Hanna agreed. "I guess you were right."

Gemma shrugged. "Usually am." Juice smiled at Hanna across the room, and her stomach did a little summersault. "Didn't expect it be Juice you ended up with, though." Hanna looked back at Gemma with a raised eyebrow. "Tig always seemed more your speed."

Hanna hummed. "I was wild and crazy."

"And you're not anymore?" Gemma asked skeptically.

"I'm  _slightly_  less wild and crazy," she amended.

"Juice is sweet, you could ruin his life if you wanted to."

"I don't want to," Hanna said simply.

Gemma squeezed Hanna's arm. "I know." They watched for another moment in silence. "You still want out of Charming?"

The blonde took a deep breath. "I don't know."

"This is the way it was always meant to be," Gemma told her. She squeeze Hanna's arm again, and then headed back to the living room to gather up Abel from Donna's arms.

Hanna followed her, and joined Juice and Tig on the couch. "Slide over," she said, wiggling herself between them. "How're your girls?" She asked Tig.

He shrugged. "You've probably seen them more than I have."

Hanna raised an eyebrow. "Just because we all ended up in the same place doesn't mean we stayed in touch. It's a big city. Besides, your girls are fucking psycho." Tig nodded his agreement.

Wendy came in from the hall and stopped in front of them. She held out her hand, and Hanna squeezed it. Though she hadn't known Wendy as Jax's wife, she had known her as Crow Eater. "How're you doing?" She asked.

"Getting better," Wendy said. Hanna nodded, and let go of her hand.

Hanna turned to Juice. "You ready to go? I can only take so much of this stomach churning domesticity," she joked. He nodded and helped her up off the couch. "Let me tell Gem bye, then I'll meet you outside." He kissed her and headed for the door.

Tig reached up to grab her arm. "You fit in here, you know that? You always have."

Hanna ran her fingers through her hair. "I think that's supposed to be a compliment, but I don't know if I should take it that way coming from you." Tig just shrugged.

She headed across the room to tell Gemma goodbye. "Not to play right into your hand, but this was nice. I'm glad I came." Abel grabbed Hanna's finger and the girls all laughed.

"Hey, we should get lunch some time," Tara suggested. "Catch up."

Hanna nodded. They'd never been close. When Hanna was a teenager, she'd always seen Tara as her competition. It was time that changed. "Yeah, let's do that."

Outside Hanna found Juice waiting for her on his bike. "Want me to take you back to the ranch?" He asked.

She swung her helmet by the strap for a second. "No, let's go back to your place." She put one arm around his neck. "As far as trial runs go, that went really well." Juice smiled. "Elliot's going to need me to stay around longer than expected. I don't know how long, but in the meantime...Let's do this."

"Us?"

Hanna smirked. "I mean, it's a good way to kill time." She leaned in to kiss him, and he swung her around so she was sitting on the bike facing him. "If I go back to the city, we can figure out what to do then. But, I don't want to think that far ahead."

It was only on the ride home that she realized she'd said  _if_.

OoOoO

The sounds of chattering customers and clattering dishes filled the coffee shop. The noise rang in Hanna's ears as she sat in silence. On the other side of the table, Tara stared at the wall over Hanna's shoulder. Their salads sat untouched between them.

The call in the middle of the night had woken Hanna up. After Juice had told her the news, she hadn't been able to get back to sleep. Donna Winston, Opie's wife, had been killed in a drive by shooting after the party.

It still felt surreal. It had only been hours ago that they were all sitting in Jax's living room, talking and laughing. "I'm going back to Chicago," Tara said, finally breaking the silence. "You should leave too." Hanna stared at her for a moment, the words not quite sinking in. "We both have lives waiting for us," Tara continued. "This town will only drag us down."

"I've spent so many years of my life being bitter, making decisions out of spite," Hanna said quietly. "I'm past that now, I don't want to let my life be controlled by fear either."

"Jax won't leave," she said, as if she hadn't heard anything Hanna had said. "But Juice isn't like him. If you ask him to go, I think he'd leave with you."

Hanna thought about it for a moment. Returning to San Francisco, or somewhere else, Seattle or Vancouver. A new life, no more Oswald-Donnelly family problems, just a new city and the guy she was falling in love with. She couldn't deny it was tempting. But Gemma was right; this was the way it was always meant to be. Some people just couldn't leave Charming.

"As naïve as it sounds, I want to believe there are things worth fighting for," Hanna said quietly. "I know that this life isn't what I had planned, but I can't leave now. Things may be hard, but the best things in life usually are."

OoOoO

Hanna took the rest of the day off and took her appaloosa out for a ride instead. The woods were relaxing, quiet, the perfect place to go and think. Tara wasn't wrong, getting out of Charming was the smart decision. But the longer Hanna thought about it, the more sure she was that staying was the better choice for her.

Maybe it was stubbornness that kept her from leaving. There were still things that needed to be done, and then there was Tristen to worry about. Hanna didn't want to leave her alone with Karen and Elliot. Tris needed to know she had choices in life; she didn't have to let her parents shape her into a person she didn't want to become.

She emerged at the trailhead near the ranch and spotted Juice coming up the driveway with Clay and Tig. She rode out to meet them. "Hey, boys. What's going on?"

Clay and Tig shared a look. "You heard Bobby got picked up, right?" Clay asked. Hanna nodded. "Well they're coming after Ope next. We need Elliot to do us a favor."

"Let me go turnout Brandy, and I'll meet you guys at the barn," Hanna said.

"Brandy?" Tig repeated. "Sounds like a hooker name."

"You  _would_  say that," Hanna said, shaking her head. She turned her horse around toward the pasture. She brushed her fingers over Juice's cheek, before heading out.

"Aw, cute," Tig said sarcastically.

"Fuck off, Tiggy," Hanna called over her shoulder as she rode away.

She rejoined them a few minutes later outside the barn, where Elliot was grooming his own horse. "We need that address," Clay was saying. Hanna could tell from her father's body language that he was going to say no.

Tig waved a plastic bag in his face. "Unless you want this going to Unser, you better think twice about your answer." Hanna got a closer look at the bag, a bloody knife. She had a pretty good idea of who the blood belonged to.

"Opie's wife just died," Hanna reminded Elliot, as she came up behind them. "If you let him go to jail for a crime he didn't commit, you're going to orphan two little kids. You're not that heartless."

Elliot turned toward her, and looked at her for a moment. Hanna raised an eyebrow. Finally he nodded. "I'll make some calls."

Hanna and Juice followed him inside. They stopped in the hallway outside Elliot's office, to wait. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "This is all so fucked up," Hanna murmured. Juice nodded his agreement. She intertwined her fingers through his. "Tara's skipping town, she recommended I do the same."

Juice looked down at her for a moment. "Back to San Francisco?"

Hanna shrugged one shoulder. "Or somewhere else, I don't know." She turned to face him. "If I did leave, would you come with me?"

He looked at her for a minute. Hanna could tell he was thinking about it. She knew it wasn't an easy question. Leaving Charming wasn't easy, neither was leaving SAMCRO. He nodded. Hanna let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"I'm not leaving, I decided this morning," Hanna admitted. Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe she should have been running upstairs to pack a bag right away. But she'd made her choice. "I just wanted to know."

Hanna wrapped hers arms around him and lay her head on his shoulder. Juice kissed the top of her head. Elliot stepped out of his office. "I have the address."

OoOoO

The day of Donna's funeral was clear and bright, a sharp contrast to the mood. The flower arrangements were beautiful. Hanna had chosen a particularly nice wreath of white lilies and signed them from the Oswalds. She stopped in front of them, rubbing a petal between her fingers.

Tara approached Hanna, taking her hand and offering her a blue carnation to put on the casket. "I thought about what you said," Tara told her quietly. "You were right, some things are worth fighting for."

"You're staying?" Hanna asked, as they placed their flowers on top of Donna's casket.

"I'm staying," Tara said, with a nod. Hanna squeezed the other woman's hand. They sat down and Juice put his hand on Hanna's shoulder. She laid her cheek against his hand for a moment, and then sat up.

Hanna and Tara shared look. Yeah, they both had things worth fighting for. And Hanna had a feeling there would be no shortage of fights in their futures.


	4. Chapter 4

The weeks following the funeral went by in a blur. Hanna churned out designs and budgets and pitched fundraiser ideas like a woman possessed. Sleepless nights and rolling into the office still half-drunk was apparently a recipe for creativity. Though she knew if she didn't slow down, she was going to crash.

"Hanna's falling back into her old habits," Tristen said, taking on the haughty mocking tone of her mother. Hanna just laughed as she drove her little sister to choir practice. Karen wasn't wrong, but Hanna just didn't care.

She'd burn out eventually, and then she'd head back to Elliot's and hole up at the ranch and let him say, "I told you so." But until then, she was putting off the inevitable.

The shrill ringtone on her phone woke Hanna up. She cracked one eye open and took in the chaos in the club. Passed out bodies in various states of undress. Bobby's welcome home party. Without a witness, they had no choice but to cut him loose.

By this time of night, most of the bodies belonged to Crow Eaters. If Gemma or Tara had been by, they were long gone. Old ladies didn't pass out on top of pool tables with their boys. Hanna still hadn't quite adjusted her old habits to fit her new position.

The phone rang again and she rolled over, slipping out from under Juice's arm. Her hand blindly searching for a way to stop the offending noise. Finally she grabbed it, and flipped it open. Hanna pushed herself up on her elbow, and grunted out a greeting somewhere between "hello" and "fuck off."

"Hanna, can you meet me at my place?" Tara asked.

Hanna pulled the phone back from her face to check the time. "It's like 4 in the morning." Tara just repeated her question. Hanna looked down at her bare legs. "Do I need pants?"

"Are you drunk?" Tara asked.

"Maybe," Hanna replied. "Do I need pants?"

Tara groaned. "Forget it, go back to sleep."

"I'm up, I'm up," Hanna grumbled. "I'll be there in twenty." She flicked the phone closed and rolled off the pool table, gingerly stepping over the Crow Eater on the ground.

She made a loop around the room, finally spotting her jeans. She leaned down on the armrest. "You're sitting on my pants," she whispered to Tig, trying not to wake anyone else up. He cracked one eye open and pulled her into his lap.

Hanna rolled her eyes, and reached down to grab her jeans, wiggling them out from under him. "Thanks." He made no move to let her go, and she gave his cheek two soft smacks. "Get your greasy hands off my ass, Tiggy."

His arms slid away and she pushed herself up, hopping into her jeans. "Goodnight," Tig mumbled.

Hanna padded over to the bar and downed a glass of water while she put on her shoes. She muttered to herself, "This better be fucking important."

On the other side of town, Hanna pulled up outside Tara's house. The doctor met her at the door and waved her inside, glancing around as if she were expecting someone to pop out from the bushes.

If Hanna hadn't sobered up already, the sight of Unser standing in the living room did the trick. "What's wrong?" She asked, pushing past him into the room.

Gemma looked up from the couch, her face was bruised and her cheek was split open. "Oh, for fucks sake, you called  _her_?"

Hanna glanced between Tara and Unser, looking for an explanation. "In case you've forgotten, Hanna's dealt with this before," Tara reminded Gemma. It took a second for Hanna to connect the dots.

She took another look at Gemma and dropped onto the couch next to her. "Jesus, Gem. It's going to be okay." She put a reassuring hand on Gemma's arm. "Who did this?"

"It doesn't matter, no one's going after them." She shook her head. "We can't tell the guys." Hanna and Tara shared a look. Gemma snapped her fingers to get their attention. "I mean it."

"We've got to get you to the hospital, get you checked out," Tara insisted. "We'll grab Abel, check him in, say we're running more tests."

"You could lose your job for that," Gemma warned.

Hanna stood up. "You want some tea? Your throat sounds raw." Gemma nodded and Hanna headed into the kitchen, pulling Unser along with her. "Where's her car?"

"Found it at a warehouse," he said. "Why?"

"We're going to wreck it," Hanna told him, as she put the kettle on the stove. "Gemma's not thinking straight. As soon as Clay and Jax see those bruises they're gonna go on a rampage.  _Unless_  we give her a good story."

Unser nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Good. I'm going to stay with her," Hanna told him. "In case she wants to talk."

He shook his head. "She doesn't."

"Yeah, well, neither did Tristen at first. She'll want to talk eventually, I'll be here for her when she does." Hanna leaned on the counter for a moment. The whistle of the kettle made her jump. "Sorry," she muttered.

"You okay with this?" He asked.

Hanna nodded. "Just a little close to home."

"Tara should have left you out of it."

"No, no, she was right." Hanna ran her fingers through her hair. She poured a mug for Gemma, and then one for herself. "Us girls have to stick together, now more than ever."

OoOoO

Hanna joined the guys in the hospital waiting room. After spending the morning shadowing Tara and Gemma, she'd made a run to the office, if only to show her face. When she got back, Unser had called Clay to tell him Gemma had been in a car crash.

She dropped down on the couch, tossing her legs across Juice's and wrapping her arm around his neck. "Tara called, how's Gemma?" Hanna asked, as if she hadn't been at the hospital almost all morning.

"Sounds like it's just a few scrapes and bruises," Juice told her. Hanna laid her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head. "You good?"

"Just exhausted," she said with a yawn. "I think I'll go back to the ranch tonight. Hang out with Tristen and grab some clean clothes. You buy shitty laundry detergent, by the way." Hanna yawned again. "Fuck, I gotta stop staying out all night. I'm getting old."

"But I just got out!" Bobby whined across the room. He was laid out on a stretcher, looking like he might puke at any moment. "I missed out on wild Hanna?"

"Sorry, Bobby, I need a break," Hanna said, shaking her head. Truthfully, seeing Gemma beaten and bruised had been a reality check. They all had to be on watch, and Hanna couldn't do that if she wasn't at her best. "Besides it was only  _wild_  Hanna, not Crow Eater Hanna."

Tig pointed at Hanna and she raised an eyebrow. "Was I dreaming or did you give me a lap dance this morning?"

Hanna furrowed her eyebrows, playing dumb. "I think I'd remember that, I wasn't  _that_  drunk."

He smirked. "Guess it was a dream."

"Just for future reference, I literally  _never_  want to hear about your dreams," Hanna told him, nose crinkled up in disgust.

"Not even if they're about you?"

" _Especially_  if they're about me." Before Tig could reply, Tara walked into the waiting room, her eyes landed on Hanna and she nodded once. "How's she doing, doc?"

"Better." The long look she gave suggested the opposite.

Hanna nodded. "I've got to go home before I pass out, but tell her I'll call, alright?"

"Yeah, she'll want to hear from you." Tara turned to Clay. "I can take you to see her."

Juice gave Hanna a curious look. "You two close now?"

"We weren't  _not_  close before," Hanna said with a shrug. She put her hand over her mouth to stifle another yawn. "I wasn't kidding, I've really got to get some sleep."

"You want a ride?" He asked. "Don't want your car ending up like Gemma's."

Hanna almost said yes. There was someone out there who targeted Gemma because of her connection to the club. It was enough to freak any girl out. But she also just wanted to be alone, go to sleep, and double check that her gun was loaded. She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm good. I'll text you later."

Unser nodded at Hanna as she walked out the door and Hanna squeezed his shoulder. She'd always been good at keeping secrets, only this time she wasn't sure keeping this under wraps was such a good idea. But it wasn't her secret to tell, and she'd meant what she said. They had to stick together.


	5. Chapter 5

Hanna motioned for Chibs and Juice to follow her into the studio. They carried a loveseat couch between them. She pointed out the place she wanted it on set, and as soon as it was on the ground, jumped on top of it. Hanna ran her hand over the floral printed velvet and grinned.

Luann walked over, eyeing the hideous sofa. “Isn’t it great? I spotted it at a yard sale on the way over,” Hanna explained. “It’s exactly what we were looking for.”

“How much?” Luann asked.

“Like twenty bucks, a  _third_  of what it was going to cost to have the carpenters build it.”

Luann clapped her hands together. “You’re an angel, Hanna Donnelly.”

“I do try.” Hanna stretched out on the loveseat in her best sexy pose. “Ready for my close up.”

Luann shook her head. “Wish you’d let me screen test you. You’re a natural actress.”

Hanna pushed herself up on her elbows. “I’m definitely not. Besides, I have enough shit on my hands, without you know,  _literally_  having shit on my hands.”

Luann shook her head. “Thanks for helping out these past few weeks,” she said. “I’ve been stretched thin with all these changes. Just knowing someone else is taking care of my sets has been a huge weight off my shoulders.”

“Of course. It’s been an interesting change of pace,” Hanna said with a laugh. “Plus, I prefer interior design work. With Elliot’s office done, he’s got me planning a shit ton of fundraisers. Calling vendors is  _so_  not my idea of a good time.”

“I can _not_  wear this!” One of the girls shrieked from backstage. “Luann!”

Hanna choked back a laugh. She’d gotten used to Ima and her diva routine. Luann let out a long sigh. “I should go deal with her. Thanks again, angel.”

Hanna stretched out a hand and let Juice pull her up till she was sitting on the armrest. Chibs eyed the couch. “Looks like my gran’s sofa.”

“Maybe Luann’s going for the horny grandma thing,” Hanna suggested with a shrug.

Chibs shuddered. “Great, now I can’t ever watch this scene. I’ll never be able to get the image of my gran shoving a bottle up someone’s ass out of my head.” He headed off, still shaking his head as he went.

“Hey, Tris wants you to get dinner with us tonight,” Hanna told Juice.

“By us do you mean you and Tristen, or…”

“Oh, god. Yes, just Tris and me. I’m never willingly taking you near Elliot or the step-bitch. I don’t have a death wish.” Hanna shook her head. “There’s a new place in Lodi, we don’t even have to be in the same town as them.”

“We won’t make it back for the wrap party, if we go all the way out there,” he reminded her.

Hanna shrugged. “There’ll always be more parties. Anyway, Tris has decided it’s her duty as my baby sister to approve of all my boyfriends. Her exact words were  _make sure his intentions are pure_.” She laughed quietly. “I think she’s been watching too many period dramas with Karen.”

“I won a bear for her!” Juice protested.

“Trust me, it’s not you,” Hanna assured him. “She’s still a little mad I left her at the ranch alone for three weeks. Just let her play little sister for tonight, and tomorrow she’ll be volunteering to plan the wedding.”

Over Juice’s shoulder, Hanna noticed a redhead porn star watching them together. Hanna put her hand on the back of his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss. The redhead averted her eyes. Hanna leaned back, hiding her smirk. “We’ll come over around six.”

Hanna made a beeline for the redhead, who had perched herself on top of a table, just waiting for Juice to look her way. Hanna flashed the handgun in her purse. “I wouldn’t, if I were you.” She pushed the girl’s chin toward the back room. “Try the Scotsman, I hear they like gingers.”

Outside Hanna found Tara sitting on Jax’s bike. “Another fun day at the porn studio?” Tara asked. 

Hanna scoffed as she joined her. “When I’m done with this work for Luann, I’m never letting Juice go back in that studio. Hell, I admire what they do, more power to them. But they hover around the boys like flies. If I were you, I’d be watching out for Jax.”

“Oh, Jax wouldn’t-“

“Neither would Juice, doesn’t mean I want hot girls hanging all over him.” Hanna shook her head. “Ima’s got a thing for Jax.”

Tara frowned. “What’s an Ima?”

“Caracara’s star attraction, and a literal pain in everyone’s ass.” Hanna rolled her eyes. “If you ever feel like going all Bad Girls Club on her ass, no one would hold it against you. Hell, I’d help.”

“I don’t know, I think my cat fighting days are behind me,” Tara said, though she still frowned. “You were built for this, Han. You’ve got that take no shit attitude just like Gemma.”

“You don’t have to punch someone to put them in their place,” Hanna said, with a shrug. “Find your own way to deal with the bullshit. But if you don’t demand respect, you’ll never get it.” She hooked an arm around Tara’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

Hanna pushed herself off the bike and sighed. “Now, I’ve got to go explain the difference between bruschetta and crostini to a caterer who should already know what the hell they’re doing.”

OoOoO

It was a busy day downtown, and Hanna walked to lunch instead of driving, just to avoid giving up her parking space in front of the office. As she neared the café, she spotted a black SUV on the other side of the park. Hanna headed toward it, peering through the window. “Gem? I thought that was your car.”

Gemma jumped, bumping her head against the doorframe. “Jesus, Hanna,” she hissed. “Get in before they see you.”

“Who?” Hanna asked.

Gemma shot her a look, and jutted a finger toward the passenger seat. Only when Hanna was safely inside did Gemma show her the brown paper bag. “Got it in the mail this morning.”

Hanna pulled out the rubber mask. “Is this what I think it is?” She asked. Gemma nodded. “Fuck.”

“Zobelle built his cigar shop in the old Sherman’s building,” she explained. Her fingers tapped nervously against the steering wheel. “I ran right into one of them, Weston, I think, Zobelle’s right hand.” She tapped her chest. “Recognized his tattoo.”

“That white separatist shitbag?” Hanna clarified. “Apparently he’s been all over Elliot too. Guess he needs to have his fingers in everyone’s business; cops, outlaws,  _and_  businessmen. He wants to own this town.”

Gemma glanced in the rearview window as a man walked out of the cigar shop. She pulled her gun out of her purse and rested it on her knee. “We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

OoOoO

The women followed Weston across town until he stopped at a warehouse. Gemma was quiet while they watched Weston get out of his car. He met with a group of white guys and passed them envelopes that were certainly full of cash.

Finally the meeting broke, and Weston headed toward his car. He stopped to make a quick detour to the porta-potty. Gemma reached for her gun, and checked the magazine. It took her two tries to put it back together. Hanna put a hand on her arm. “You want me to do this?”

For a moment Gemma looked like she might be considering it, then she shook her head. “No, I gotta do this on my own.”

Hanna nodded. “Be quick.”

Gemma got out of the car and headed toward the gate. Hanna wiggled over the console, so she was sitting in the drivers seat. They were going to need to get away fast. Hanna watched as Gemma hid in another porta-potty, waiting for her opportunity.

Hanna drummed her fingers on the steering wheel while she watched. Weston emerged to take a phone call. Gemma pushed open the door, barely far enough for Hanna to notice across the street. Then the door shut and Weston got in his car and drove off.

A few minutes later, Gemma crossed the street. She threw open the passenger side door. Hanna stared at her, confused. “I couldn’t do it,” Gemma said, stating the obvious.

Hanna looked in the direction Weston’s car had gone. She opened her purse and pulled out her own pistol. “I’ve got this.”

“He’s got kids,” Gemma told her, looking like she’d just seen a ghost. The blonde gave her a blank look. “Jesus, Hanna. I can’t, okay? Just take me home.”

Hanna looked at her for a moment before she sighed. “Yeah, okay, Gem. Whatever you want.”

OoOoO

It was a clear, sunny day, perfect for riding. Hanna took Brandy out, and Elliot joined her. They rode in silence, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. She was relieved when her phone rang, giving her a distraction. “Hey, Tara, what’s up?”

“Gemma nearly jumped a girl at the supermarket,” Tara said, her voice sounded a bit nasally.

Hanna side eyed Elliot, before she spoke. He nodded that he was heading back to the barn. “Damn, any idea why?”

“She refuses to talk about it.” From her tone, Hanna inferred that Tara had tried her hardest to convince Gemma otherwise. “You think you could go over there tonight? The boys have something late, and I think she could use the company.”

“Sure, we’ll have a sleepover, braid each other’s hair, and talk about boys,” Hanna quipped. Tara huffed. The blonde rolled her eyes, though Tara obviously couldn’t see. “Yeah, I’ll go over.”

“Thanks, I’ll try to come by later but I’m not sure if I’ll make it.”

“No problem. You coming down with a cold?” Hanna asked, as she turned Brandy back toward the barn. “You sound a little weird.”

“That would be the broken nose,” Tara told her. “Courtesy of Gemma.”

Hanna let out a whistle. “You should’ve led with that.” When Hanna and her appaloosa emerged through the trees she spotted Elliot talking to Clay. “Gotta go. I’ll text you when I get over there.”

Hanna dismounted and led her horse to the paddock, keeping an eye on the boys. Clay had brought Opie and Tig, the latter of whom winked when he saw her. She waited, not wanting to interrupt. The conversation didn’t look heated, and she was fairly certain the topic at hand was land. If Elliot didn’t sell to Jacob Hale and his housing development, the city council was going to build a freeway through it. It was all anyone at the office could talk about, and Hanna was tired of hearing it.

Finally Elliot walked away, and Tig and Clay shared a few words. Tig turned toward her, flashing a big grin. He had a nasty bruise around his eye. “Well don’t you look pretty?”

Tig made a face. “Bobby and his stupid bike,” he muttered. Clay nodded at them as he headed down the driveway. “Got something you can help us with, Han.” She raised an eyebrow. “There’s a vote tonight. Juice is the swing, we need him to go with Clay.”

“What are you voting on?” She asked, suspiciously. Tig just shook his head. “Look, if I just tell him to vote with Clay, he’ll know someone put me up to it. What’s the vote on?”

Tig sighed. “Otto got jumped in prison by the Aryans. We know Zobelle was behind it, and we’ve got to move on him while we’ve got a chance.”

“Zobelle’s a scumbag in more ways than you know,” Hanna mumbled. She thought about Gemma and how she hadn’t been able to pull the trigger. Someone had to get revenge for her. “Yeah, I’ll talk to Juice. He’ll vote with Clay.”

Tig put a hand on her arm and kissed her on the temple. “You’re an angel.”

Hanna smirked. “That’s what they tell me.”


	6. Chapter 6

Hanna danced around Gemma’s kitchen in an oversized t-shirt and Nike shorts, while she waited for the microwave to heat up their pasta. “At least one of us is in a good mood,” Gemma muttered. She poured them each a large glass of wine.

Hanna shrugged, and pulled the dish out of the microwave. She scooped them each up a plate of baked ziti and carried them over to the table. “You and Juice doing good?” Gemma fished, and pushed Hanna’s glass over. The blonde bobbed her head as she reached for her wine. “Does he tell you everything? About the club.”

“Most of it. At least the important shit,” Hanna told her. She didn’t mention their last conversation about the Zobelle vote. It wasn’t worth it to get Gemma worked up, especially if the vote fell in Jax’s favor.

“That’s good. With some girls, they can get away with keeping secrets,” Gemma said, shaking her head. “But not you. You’re like me. We’ve got to know what’s going on with our boys. Keep him honest, Han. It’s the only way you can take care of him.”

“He’s a big boy, he doesn’t need me to take care of him.”

Gemma scoffed. “Trust me, they  _all_  need taking care of. Get your practice in with this one. Eventually you’ll have them all to worry about, and it won’t be as easy with the rest of them.”

Hanna raised an eyebrow. “That sounds an awful like being queen. I think you’re mentoring the wrong girl.” Though she might be an old lady, Juice would never be president of SAMCRO. She’d never have the responsibility of mothering the club on her shoulders, that would fall to Tara.

“Look, Tara is growing on me. But for her, being a doctor will always come before being an old lady.”

“Well, she does save kids’ lives for a living,” Hanna muttered.

“Someone will have to pick up the slack when she can’t.”

Hanna bit her lip. “I’m still not sure how much longer I’ll be in Charming. I’m waiting to hear back on a few permanent positions in the city. I might be going soon.”

Gemma shot her a skeptical look. “Don’t kid yourself.”

“Juice might come with me,” Hanna murmured.

“Even if he did, could you really leave the rest of them? Tig, Bobby, Tara and me? How about your sister?”

“Tris is doing better,” Hanna said quickly, taking control of the conversation and steering it in a different direction. “She started seeing a therapist a few weeks ago, and it’s done wonders. For months all she would do was go to school, go to choir practice, and then come home. But I took her to Lodi, the first time she’d gotten out just to do something  _fun_  since it happened. It’s good to see her being a kid again, you know?”

Gemma nodded, looking uncomfortable with the subject matter, but Hanna kept pushing. “You thought about talking to someone? If not Tara or me, then someone else. Shrinks are paid to listen to your problems,  _and_  keep them to themselves. Plus, I hear some of them have good drugs.”

Gemma barked out a sharp laugh. “Tara forced me into seeing one at the hospital. I’d rather be water boarded than sit through that again.”

“Was this before or after you broke her nose?” Hanna asked. The corner of Gemma’s mouth turned up in a smirk. “Bet you had fun with that.”

“Stress reliever.”

“Next time maybe try relieving your stress on an inanimate object. That’s what us emotionally stable people do.”

“I’m not sure emotionally stable people call themselves that,” Gemma pointed out.

“Fair point.” She shrugged. “Guess you  _have_  to be a little fucked up to stay in Charming.”

“Just a little.” Gemma pushed back from the table. “More wine?”

“Always.”

OoOoO

It was the shots that drew Hanna outside of Caracara. Luann had offered her the day off, but Hanna had refused. She needed to work. If she didn’t keep busy, she’d go crazy. She and Gemma had been half asleep when they’d gotten the call. There’d been a car bomb, and Chibs was in critical condition. The girls had been at the hospital with the club all night. No one had gotten any sleep.

Hanna crossed the parking lot to where Tara and Gemma were taking out their frustrations on a poster. Tara fired another bullet, hitting the bottom of the poster by a narrow margin. “You two are out here having fun and no one thought to invite me?” Hanna called.

Tara and Gemma turned, both looking significantly happier than the last time she saw them. “Come on, city girl, show us what you got,” Gemma said, waving her over.

Hanna joined them, and Tara offered up her handgun. The blonde shook her head and pulled her own Glock 21. Tara raised an eyebrow. Hanna turned toward their makeshift target, narrowed her eyes, and shot straight through the model’s eye. “Jesus Christ, where did you learn to shoot like that?” Tara asked.

“I may be a city girl now, but don’t forget my father is a card carrying Republican who loves guns, Jesus, and classism.”

Tara’s eyebrows knitted together. “Don’t you mean racism?”

“Oh, no. Upper-class Republicans from California are far too evolved to be outwardly  _racist_. Not that it stops the microagressions. But blatant classism? Hell yes. Who needs poor people, am I right?” Hanna said, tone dripping with sarcasm. Gemma snorted. “But, yeah, I grew up hunting. Other than horses, it was the only thing Elliot and I could bond over.”

They took a few more turns shooting up the poster, before Gemma finally replaced it with a new one. “How’re you holding up?” Tara asked. “You took off this morning.”

“Couldn’t sit there anymore,” Hanna muttered. “I hate hospitals.”

“Juice and Chibs are close, aren’t they?”

“Like the dad he never had,” Hanna confirmed. “He went back to T-M, I think we both just needed to work and get our minds off it for a while.”

“You ever regret staying?”

“Never.” It wasn’t even a lie. With every day, Hanna forgot why she’d wanted to leave in the first place. She found friends here, a family even. They were her people now, and she couldn’t imagine life without them.

“It settles down,” Gemma reassured them. “You remember, Hanna? How it gets sometimes, down right boring?”

Hanna hummed as she recalled all the ways they found to fill the time. “Boring sounds nice right about now.”

A car pulled up near them, and the women watched as Ima stepped out. Her hair looked as if she’d just gotten a perm, and it bounced as she turned to look at them. Tara raised her gun, giving the cylinder a spin. Ima locked her car and took off, a panicked look on her face. Tara giggled. “That was fun.”

“You’re gonna love this,” Gemma said, pulling her gun and walking toward the car. She stopped to shoot out the back tire, and turned to flash a grin at the other women over her shoulder. Tara covered her mouth to hide her laughter, but quickly took the opportunity to put three bullet holes in the passenger door. Hanna laughed and shot out the window. Then it was a free for all, the girls shooting until they ran out of bullets in their guns. They devolved into laughter, leaning against each other to keep from falling over.

“God  _damn_ , I needed that,” Hanna said, through her laughter. Tara nodded her agreement.

Gemma laughed. “You shoot pretty good for a city bitch.”

“Fuck you,” Hanna said, attempting to keep a straight face. But they burst into a fresh round of laughter, much to the confusion of the crowd that had gathered to watch them shoot up Ima’s car from the porch. “You know what else I could use? Bourbon.”

Gemma gave a definitive nod. “Hell yes, this is the kind of therapy I approve of.”

OoOoO

“Three million,” Tara repeated, staring blankly at the wall. “Where the fuck are we going to get that kind of money?”

Just when they thought the might have one night of peace; they’d gotten the call. SAMCRO had moved on Zobelle, only they’d gotten bad intel. Instead of raiding a white power meeting, they’d crashed a church gathering, guns blazing. Over half the club was sitting in county, awaiting a trial that had yet to be scheduled, with a seven-figure bail.

“300 grand with a bondsman,” Hanna reminded her, leaning against Gemma’s dining room table.

“ _Still_.”

Gemma looked at Hanna who shook her head aggressively. “I have money, but not  _that_  much money. I might be able to get 50k, the rest of my cash is tied up in investments.” The blonde tossed her phone back and forth between her hands, while she thought.

“If Gemma and I put up our houses…” Tara trailed off.

“Maybe it’s enough to get our three boys out, but you know they won’t leave anyone behind. It’s too dangerous, they don’t have protection in there.”

“Fuck!” Gemma shouted, shoving a stack of magazines off the counter.

Hanna looked at her phone again. “I know someone who has the money.”

Tara and Gemma looked at her for a moment, before it dawned on them who she meant. “That’s a big favor to ask of someone who doesn’t even want you around the club,” Tara pointed out.

Hanna groaned. “It’s not like I have a choice. We have to get them out of there.”

Gemma nodded. “Do it.”

Hanna took a deep breath and made the call. Elliot answered on the second ring. “Hey, kid. You coming into the office today? Heather filled me in; the gala planning is looking great. You’ve done a good job.”

“Thanks, daddy,” she said, putting on her sweetest voice. Tara made a face like she was gagging. “I’ll come by later.”

There was silence on the other end for a moment, while Elliot processed Hanna’s demeanor. “What do you want, Hanna?”

“It’s the boys, they were arrested last night,” Hanna explained. “Someone has to put up bail and Gemma can’t afford it.”

“How much?” Elliot asked, not beating around the bush.

Hanna shot a panicked look at the other women. “Three hundred against three mil.”

Elliot choked. “Say that again? I could’ve sworn you said three  _million_.” Hanna was silent, letting him take it all in. “I don’t have that kind of cash just laying around, I’d have to mortgage the land.”

“You’ll get it back,” Hanna assured him. “Besides, it’s seven guys, of course it isn’t going to be cheap, but we can’t leave them in there. Look, I’ll come by the office, explain everything. You’ll see that what they did was for the good of Charming.”

Elliot just let out a long sigh. “I can’t do this, Hanna.”

“I’ll be there in a hour,” she said, ignoring him. Hanna blew a kiss into the phone. “Love you, daddy. See you soon!”

Tara and Gemma watched her expectantly. Hanna shook her head. Their faces fell. “No, no sad faces. I’ll bring him around. Give me some time, I need to talk to him.”

Gemma and Tara shared a look, but finally Gemma nodded. “Alright. We have to do this, Hanna. Somehow.”

“Believe me, I know. My man is in there too.”

OoOoO

Tristen’s choir practice was just coming to an end, when Hanna walked through the large double doors at the far end of the sanctuary. The younger girl’s eyes lit up and Hanna waved. From the middle row of pews, Elliot turned to see his eldest daughter. His shoulders rose and fell as he sighed.

Hanna joined him, sliding into the empty seat to his right. “The office told me you were here.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about, Hanna. I already told you, I can’t put up that kind of money. I’m sorry.”

“I wouldn’t be asking you this if it weren’t important,” she reasoned. “You know damn well I don’t like acknowledging when I need help.” Elliot snorted. “They can’t stay in there, you heard what happened to Otto, right?”

“I wish I could help, really I do. But if I want to run for mayor next term, I can’t have this on my record. It looks bad.”

“This town needs SAMCRO, and they know it. If you help them out, you won’t be the person who let out the outlaws, you’ll be the person who helped push Ethan Zobelle out of Charming.”

Elliot shook his head, but Hanna knew he was considering it. He hated Zobelle as much as any of them. “I agree that Zobelle is bad for this town, but Hanna, I can’t get in the middle of this one. Not right now.”

The pew shook as Tristen skipped over to join them. She leaned down to hug her older sister around the neck. “Are you here to pick me up? It’s dad’s day to take me home.”

“I know, I actually came by to see him,” Hanna told her. Tristen glanced between the two of them, reading the tension. Hanna preempted her question, with an answer, “We’re fine.”

Tristen bit her lip as she decided whether or not to let the obvious lie slide. Finally she nodded. “Are you busy this weekend? There’s a movie I want to see.”

“Something PG-13, I’m sure,” Elliot muttered. “You only ask Hanna to take you places when it’s something Karen won’t like.”

“I can see PG-13 movies if I want to, I am  _thirteen_ ,” Tristen reminded him, in her best haughty tone. Hanna laughed at how similar she sounded to herself at that age. “Almost fourteen.”

“A month and a half,” Elliot said, with a shake of his head.

Tristen turned her attention back to her sister. “So, this weekend?”

Hanna nodded. “Maybe, there’s a lot going on right now, but I’ll see if I can get away.”

“Juice too,” Tristen insisted.

Elliot and Hanna shared a look. The blonde turned back to Tristen. “Probably not, Tris. He got picked up last night, not sure when he’ll be out.” Hanna’s eyes darted toward Elliot, and back again.

“Arrested?” Tristen clarified. Hanna nodded and the younger girl chewed on her lip again. “That’s why you’re here, you need money to get him out.”

“Yeah, and a few of the other guys too.” Hanna shook her head, and tried to stay upbeat. Tristen didn’t need to be dragged into this. “But I’ll see if I can make time to take you to the movies this weekend.”

Tristen shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.” She leaned down to give Hanna another, longer hug, and kissed her on the cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too, Tris.”

“Grab your stuff, Tristen. We’ve got to get home for dinner, Karen’s making pot roast.” Elliot glanced over at Hanna. “Will you be joining us?”

Before Hanna could answer, her phone rang. She slid out of the pew and took a few steps away. “Hello?

“Is this Hanna Donnelly?” The woman on the other end asked.

“Yes?” The word more question than confirmation.

“This is Stockton Memorial. Juan Carlos Ortiz listed you as his emergency contact.” Hanna felt her heart drop into her stomach. “He was stabbed. There’s minimal damage to his internal organs, but the doctors were worried about infection. He’s been brought here for treatment.”

Hanna ran her fingers through her hair. “Can I visit?”

The woman on the other end hummed for a moment, while she flipped through papers. “Yes, I believe he’ll be allowed visitors this evening.”

“Good, um, I’ll be there soon. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Have a nice day, Ms. Donnelly.”

Hanna flicked her phone closed and stared at it for a moment. “What’s wrong?” Tristen asked, returning with her backpack.

“Juice is in the hospital,” she murmured.

“Is he alright?” Elliot asked. The concern in his voice made Hanna sick to her stomach.

“Well, he’s not dead. So it could be worse,” she snapped, turning to face him. “He should’ve been on his way home,  _safe_. If you’d just given me the money this morning, this wouldn’t have happened. He could have died. That would have been on you.”

“I had no way of knowing-“

“No way of knowing?” Hanna repeated incredulously. Tristen stood blank faced, watching them. “It’s prison, not fucking summer camp. They aren’t safe, and you  _knew_  that! If I hadn’t been worried about them, I wouldn’t have asked you.”

“It’s not my responsibility to take care of your bikers. They are criminals, Hanna. I have a business to think about, a family who relies on me. I can’t–”

“You can’t look out for me too?” Hanna asked, exasperated. “I’m your daughter!” Angry tears stung at her eyes and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. “The man I love almost died today, so I’ve got to go see him. Like it or not, those  _bikers_  are my family. Some us actually care about our families instead of just pretending to.” Hanna turned and marched out the door, without another glance back, leaving Elliot and Tristen staring after her.


	7. Chapter 7

Hanna’s bad mood still hadn’t subsided by the time she arrived at Stockton Memorial. If anything, twenty minutes in the car had only made it worse. She all but demanded the nurse on duty take her to see Juice.

It was obvious which room was his; there were two police officers stationed outside. Hanna rolled her eyes and pushed the door open. She breathed a sigh of relief when her eyes fell on Juice. But quickly narrowed when she saw the handcuff. She whirled on the nurse. “Two cops  _and_  handcuffs? Seems like overkill, don’t you think? He was stabbed.  _Twice_. He’s not going anywhere.”

“It’s policy ma’am,” the nurse mumbled. He was a scrawny little thing, and stepped back as Hanna took a threatening step toward him. “Visiting hours are almost over.”

Hanna shook her head once. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Are you family?” He asked

“Family is a fucking joke,” Hanna snapped. “Blood doesn’t make people family.” The nurse looked unconvinced, but unwilling to pick an argument with the hostile blonde. “Does the name Donnelly not mean anything to you?”

The man looked at her for a moment before paling. “I voted for your mother.”

She’d been “Elliot Oswald’s daughter” for so long, that playing the Governor Donnelly card had almost slipped her mind. But outside of Charming,  _that_  was the trump card. Hanna raised an eyebrow. “What was that about policy?”

“I’ll, um, let the officers know you’ll be staying,” the nurse relented. “But the handcuff has to stay.” Hanna rolled her eyes, but waved the nurse out of the room.

She dragged a chair as close to the bed as she possibly could, and dropped down into it. “Bad day?” Juice teased.

“Supremely shitty.” Hanna looked him up and down. “But I have a feeling yours was worse.” She reached out to hold his hand. “I never want to hear the phrase  _Juan Carlos Ortiz listed you as his emergency contact_ ever again.”

“I’m sorry.”

Hanna made a face. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not  _your_  fault you were shived.”

“Usually we just list Gemma as our emergency contact,” he explained with a shrug.

The blonde leaned forward and squeezed his hand. “Don’t you dare replace me with her. I’m glad you put me there. It’s just a terrifying call to get. They didn’t even preface it with a  _don’t worry, but_  they just jumped right in with the suspense.” Juice laughed, and then winced.

Hanna grimaced. “Sorry, my bad. No more hospitals, okay? I’ll go prematurely grey.” She paused and thought. “You think the stress is why Gemma dyes her hair? I don’t want to dye my hair.”

Juice shook his head. “Next time someone pulls a gun on me, I’ll make sure to tell them they can’t shoot because my old lady doesn’t want to go grey.”

“It’s a valid reason to avoid stress,” Hanna said with a shrug. She cracked a smile, and leaned forward, resting her chin on top of their hands. “You make it so easy to forget everything else. I was royally pissed off a few minutes ago, and now I’m just happy you’re alright.” She paused, just looking at him. “I’ve never been that scared in my life. That moment when I didn’t know if you were safe, or alive.” Hanna shook her head. “I can’t lose you.”

Hanna leaned back to swipe at the tears welling up in her eyes. “Fuck, I hate crying. I just reapplied my mascara too. Shit.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, that’s gone.”

Juice gave her a soft smile, and reached across to put his uncuffed hand on her cheek. “I love you, Hanna.”

She batted his hand away. “Nope, none of that. We’re not doing that. I’m not crying in a hospital,  _everyone_  cries in hospitals.” He started to laugh, but winced again as his wounds pulled. “That’s what you get for laughing at me,” Hanna said with a huff. She stood up so she could kiss him. “I love you too, you big idiot.”

The handcuff jangled against the rail of the bed, as Juice tried to move his hand. “This has got to go,” Hanna muttered. “I need to start wearing my hair up so I have bobby pins on hand.”

“You pick locks now?” He asked.

“I have many hidden talents.” She shrugged. “Plus after a while Clay got tired of keeping an eye on my wild teenage ass, and started cuffing me to things so I couldn’t get into trouble.”

Juice raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.” She held up her hand and counted off the things she could remember being tethered too. “Multiple chairs, tables, barstools, the picnic bench outside. Oh, the ropes on the wrestling ring after I complained I couldn’t see from the picnic bench. Gemma eventually taught me how to pick the lock.”

“It’s almost like Gemma wanted you to get in trouble.”

“She and Clay had vastly different definitions of  _trouble_. If Gemma had it her way, Tig would have married me the day I turned eighteen.”

“Tig?” He repeated.

Hanna’s eyes widened. She hummed while she considered her next words. “You know Gemma, she’s got some wild ideas. I mean, there might have been some, uh, flirtation there at one point. But like,  _minor_  flirtation.”

“I feel like  _minor_  might be one of those words we have different definitions on.”

Hanna shook her head a little too aggressively. “Don’t you want to know why I was so pissed off earlier? Much better story, I promise.” Juice relented and nodded for her to go ahead. “I asked Elliot to post bail. Obviously he refused. When I got the call, I was with him, making a second attempt at persuading.”

“That explains the Hulk Hanna that nearly took out that nurse.”

Hanna shrugged. “Well, I did curse Elliot out in a church.”

“Damn, someone’s going to hell.”

“Yeah, the man upstairs probably ignored all the  _other_  shitty stuff I’ve done in my life. It’ll be that one  _fuck_  that does me in.” She paused and narrowed her eyes. “Wait minute, did you just call me the Hulk? I don’t know whether I’m offended or oddly flattered.”

Before Juice could reply, Hanna’s phone rang and she held up a finger, slipping out into the hall. “Tris?”

“I talked to dad,” Tristen said. Hanna sighed. “I told him about us going to Lodi a few weeks ago. I think he was a little surprised to hear that I’d even left the house for more than a few hours. He knows it was because of you.”

“Guess that made him feel supremely shitty,” Hanna muttered.

“Umhmm, that’s why he posted bail. He said it should be going through right about now.” Hanna looked around, waiting for the cops outside the door to get the call. “I know it sucks that he waited so long, something really bad could have happened.”

“Something bad  _did_  happen,” Hanna snapped. She let out of a long sigh. “Sorry, not your fault, I know. Thank you for talking to him, Tris. But as far as Elliot goes, it’s just too little, too late.”

Hanna’s phone buzzed again, and she checked caller ID. “Tris, let me call you back in a minute.” As Hanna switched calls, she spotted the cops talking amongst themselves and followed them back into Juice’s room. “Hey, Gemma. What’s up?”

“Elliot just stopped by T-M,” she said. “Guess he was looking for you. He posted bail.”

“Yeah, I just heard.” Hanna watched, as Juice was uncuffed.

“You want me to run over to the ranch and pack you a bag?” Gemma asked. Hanna perched on the edge of Juice’s bed as the cops left the room. “I assume you’re staying at the hospital.”

“Yeah, that would be great. I’ll let Tristen know your coming, she can help you find my stuff.” Hanna looked at Juice for a minute and bit her lip. “Just grab everything, the boxes, the stuff in my closet. Tris will know what’s mine.”

“You moving into Stockton Memorial?”

“No, but I am moving out. I can’t live with Elliot anymore.”

Gemma was quiet for a moment. “I’ll put your stuff in my garage, you can get it whenever you’re ready. I’ll bring an overnight bag by in a few hours.”

“Thanks, Gem.” Hanna hung up. Juice started to speak, but she held up a finger to silence him. She called Tristen back. “Tris, hey, I need you to help Gemma pack up my stuff. All of it.”

“All of it,” Tristen repeated. “You’re not coming back.”

“It was always meant to be temporary,” Hanna reminded her. “I should’ve been back in San Francisco by now, but since I’m not I’ve got to find someplace else. I can’t live at the ranch anymore.”

“I’m not going to see you anymore, am I?”

“Of course you are. Don’t be silly.”

“The longer you stay around the club, the more you disappear. You’re never here, and when you are, you can’t talk about anything. I miss you, Han.”

“I know, you’re right, and I’m sorry. But some things I just can’t explain. I swear that you’re not going to lose me, Tris,” Hanna assured. “Give me a few weeks to figure out where I’m going, and then you can come spend the night. We’ll have a sleepover, and I’ll take you to the city to do all the touristy shit Elliot never lets do you do.”

“I don’t think Karen will let me.”

“I’ll sneak you out the window if I have to,” Hanna said with a scoff. “I know all the best ways to get off the ranch without being seen. It’s about time I teach you.”

Tristen laughed. “Will Juice come?”

Hanna glanced down at Juice. “Yeah, if you want him to.”

“He’s nice,” Tristen said, simply. “Plus he makes you smile, and you don’t do that enough.”

Hanna intertwined her fingers with his. “I’m glad you like him, because you two are the only things I’m never getting rid of. Not even the club can take you away from me.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart,” Hanna said. “They’d have to pry you from my cold dead hands.”

Tristen giggled. “Are you joking about dying while your boyfriend’s in the hospital?”

“Eh, he’s fine.”

“I think Gemma’s coming up the driveway,” Tristen told her. “I should probably tell dad you’re leaving before he hears it from her.”

“Good idea,” Hanna said, already imagining Gemma getting in Elliot’s face. “I’ll call you later, Tris.”

“You better. Love you.”

Hanna snapped her phone closed and nudged Juice over. “Hey, I was stabbed,” he reminded her. She made a face and he slid over so she could stretch out next to him. They were quiet for a minute, while Hanna just looked at him. After a moment Juice prompted, “So, you’re moving out?”

“Sorry, just thinking.” Hanna looked at him for a moment. “There’s this townhouse downtown, it just went on the market. Kinda reminds me of San Fransisco.” She hummed quietly. “Would you want to move in with me?”

Juice pretended to think. “Are you going to make me buy fancy laundry detergent?”

She grinned. “Definitely.”

“Then sign me up.”

OoOoO

Hanna pushed open the door with her hip, as she balanced the groceries. Gemma glanced up from her pot roast and rushed over to hold the door for her. “Oh, honey, you didn’t have to bring all this. I just wanted you to come over and get some real food in you.”

Gemma helped Hanna carry the bags to the counter, and started to unpack them. Fresh bread from the bakery, veggies for a salad, and a case of drinks. “What is this, organic soda?” Gemma asked, looking at the label.

Hanna shrugged. “Sparkling fruit juice I think, it was on sale. Figured you could use it as a mixer.”

“City girl,” Gemma muttered, but sat the case back down on the counter. “Come here.” The older woman pulled Hanna into a hug and rubbed her back. “How you doing? No complications?”

Hanna forced a smile. “He’s going to be okay. I’m exhausted, hard to get any sleep at the hospital, that couch is like a brick.”

“You want to sleep here tonight?” Gemma offered. “Get a little nap in at least.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to leave Juice alone for too long. He’s all by himself; they don’t even have him with a roommate. Gets creepy quiet in there at night.”

“Alright, well, if you change your mind, my door’s open.”

As if on cue, Clay walked in with Tig, Happy, and the prospect. He came over to kiss Gemma, and then turned to Hanna. “How is he?”

“He’ll live,” Hanna told him, with a small smile. Clay pulled her into a big hug. “I’m glad Elliot came through with the bail. We were all worried.”

“Remember that favor you promised?” Clay asked.

Hanna frowned, while she tried to recall. Her eyes widened. “For Tristen,” she remembered. “I forgot about that.”

“I figured you had.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Consider it paid.”

“I’ve definitely helped you guys out before this, but I’ll take it.”

“You hear Elliot plans on running for mayor?” Clay asked. “He’ll be up against Jacob Hale, might be a tough race.”

“If this is your way of trying to wiggle another favor out of me, it’s too late. You already let me off the hook.” Hanna shook her head. She wasn’t ready to see her father again so soon. She definitely wasn’t going to be helping with his campaign. “Besides, everyone hates Jacob Hale, it would take a goddamn miracle to get this town on his side.”

“We’ll see.”

The door opened again, and Jax came in with the rest of the boys. Clay’s demeanor changed like the flip of a switch. Hanna fought back a yawn. She shot Gemma a look. “I really don’t have the energy for this.”

Gemma nodded, half distracted by her boys. “Get Neeta to make you a plate to go.” Hanna didn’t argue, and let the nanny fix her a helping big enough for two.

Gemma caught her by the elbow as she was heading for the back door. “You leave your boxes here as long as you need, alright?”

“Thanks, Gem.” Hanna’s whisper was nearly drowned out by the sound of Jax and Clay shouting. Gemma kissed Hanna’s cheek and pushed her toward the door. Hanna didn’t hesitate, slipping out and letting the sounds of tomorrow’s problems fade into the background.


End file.
